Lyrics from the song No Way to Stop It are included in this chapter.

Thank you for all your lovely reviews :)

Lunch had been uneventful, the children all rather charming, the governess unusually quiet but then Elsa had found that to be a rather welcome change. Unfortunately, Georg had swung between quietly lost in his own thoughts and an almost forced joviality whenever anyone called attention to this. So despite the picnic running smoothly and Elsa being as maternal as she could manage – which only really extended to patting Gretl's knee commiseratingly when she dropped her sandwich – she felt as though she were no further forward in securing her proposal.

Elsa sat on the terrace, running her finger around the rim of her lemonade glass as she surveyed Georg who remained pensive, his lips pursed as he stared out onto the lake. Max, who had returned from his rest, leaned back in his seat, his gaze drifting between his two friends. Silence stretched out, awkward and tense, until Max let out a low whistling breath from between his teeth and asked, "So did you deem last night to be a success then Georg?"

"Hmmm?" Georg looked over, his eyes widening slightly as he realised that he was the one being spoken to. "Yes," he finally replied. "Everyone appeared to have a good time."

As his eyes began to drift away again, Max tried again, this time stating, "Elsa did the most marvellous job arranging everything."

Elsa gave Max a grateful smile before turning to her attention back to Georg, awaiting his verdict. He flashed her one of his charming smiles as he was finally drawn into the conversation. "You did yourself very proud," he told her, his voice finally warming.

She dipped her head demurely and said coyly, "It wasn't myself I was out to impress, I already know my strengths."

Max chuckled and even Georg looked amused by the pronouncement, raising an eyebrow as he remarked, "And Max always claims that I'm the one who feels the need to rise to the occasion."

Elsa laughed, reaching out and letting her fingertips skim playfully over the top of Georg's hand. "Well, I had your good name to protect, I can't have all of Salzburg's high society thinking that you would throw sub-par soirees."

"Which they certainly won't after last night," Max cut in, his hands linking over his stomach. "Particularly after that delightful impromptu performance from your children."

Giving a sigh Elsa shook her head and hid her smile by taking a drink from her glass of lemonade, only Max would be so blatant in his approach. Crossing her ankles in the most ladylike fashion, she settled back into her chair and watched as Georg's expression became one of resigned bemusement at his friend. For her own merriment she threw in, "Everyone seemed quite enchanted by them." She supressed a laugh when Georg rolled his eyes at her.

Max's smile widened at her words. "Absolutely, just think what they could achieve in front of a larger audience, they would be absolutely sensational."

"As I believe I've already said to you, on numerous occasions, my children do not sing in public."

"And what would you call last night?" Max countered.

"Very much a one off."

Making a small tsking noise under his breath, his hands fluttering as he began to gesture, Max attempted to get his way again. "They would be the talk of the festival."

Leaning back in his seat, Georg's eyebrow arched. "I know you may find this difficult to believe Max, but not all of us court fame and it's certainly not something that I want for my children."

"Well perhaps that is something that we should ask them if they want."

Elsa winced at the words and she saw Georg's lips thin and purse, the skin around them turning white, Max's expression however remained mulish, his chin jutting out obstinately. Georg's words were clipped, his tone unusually cold towards his friend, the ice in it almost made Elsa want to shiver. "This is not and never will be up for discussion. Find another act."

On seeing Max's mouth open to argue, Elsa gave a small shake of her head in his direction, a warning not to push any further just now and she was thankful when he heeded it. In an attempt to diffuse the situation, Elsa tapped Georg's hand again, asking him, "Did you manage to have some fun last night?"

For a moment his eyes darkened, his expression shuttered, as though caught in a memory, it only lasted a split second but that small ball of dread low in her stomach tightened at it. More and more she was beginning to feel off kilter around this version of Georg, she had always prided herself on knowing his thoughts and now…

Then suddenly he seemed to catch himself and he smiled at her. "It was surprisingly tolerable."

"Oh, such high praise," she laughed at the teasing note to his voice. "Tell me, what feedback do you have for me? What should I work to improve on?"

"Anything you had control of was wonderfully well managed."

Tilting her face towards him curiously, Elsa remarked, "How vague Georg. You simply must stop teasing me and tell me what you didn't enjoy." She gave him a small pout.

He took a sip of lemonade and made a quiet tutting noise for a second, his eyes narrowing before he finally answered. "I did not enjoy Herr Zeller's attendance."

"Ah, yes he is quite unpleasant, and I have to admit he has very little social skills," Elsa replied. "You know he cornered me in order to drone on about the flag in the hall." She rolled her eyes, stretching one hand out as she briefly examined her nails. "Although in all fairness, I did warn you that that would ruffle a few feathers Georg."

His shoulders stiffened. "We live in Austria and it is the Austrian flag."

"Well yes," she sighed. "But we both know that it is not as simple as that just now."

Georg's fingers drummed agitatedly against the tabletop. "We could have avoided his odious presence altogether by choosing not to invite him."

Elsa looked at him in surprise and gave a nervous laugh. "Georg, he is an important figure in Salzburg…in Austrian society. Whether we find his personality pleasing or not, we simply cannot snub him in that way."

"We can and we should have," came the blunt reply. "We should not be tolerating or humouring these views. I should have put my foot down and insisted you removed him from the guest list," he grumbled.

Sharing a look with Max, who was frowning in concern at his friend, Elsa attempted to smooth over the situation. "I feel what it is best to do just now is just to try and get along with everyone, nothing is certain yet."

If anything, this just seemed to rile Georg more, his blue eyes flashed fire, his lips pulling tight and his voice cold and hard as he told them both, "You are burying your heads in the sand, these are dangerous men…dangerous times. Just trying to get along with them is playing right into their hands."

"And you are being a dewy-eyed idealist," Elsa retorted easily and without malice. "You need to learn to be a realist."

Max intervened as Elsa expected he would, she knew that he was often concerned by Georg's refusal to bend to the current political situation. "Precisely, you might be bent on being seen as the lone fighting force against this Georg, but be realistic, after all up against a shark, what can a herring do?" He gave a small shrug and added. "Be wise, compromise, just let them think that you're on their side. Be non-committal."

Georg shook his head, his nose wrinkling in disgust. "I will not bow my head to men that I despise."

"You won't have to bow your head, just…stoop a little," Max suggested.

"Stoop?" he echoed, his voice now a low growl.

Elsa patted his arm again, trying to make her tone slightly more conciliatory as she told him, "We live in a crazy world, full of crazy people. Why worry yourself over their beliefs? The world will somersault, and it will all change yet again."

"It's what the world will change into that concerns me-"

Interrupting him with a wave of her hand, Elsa stated almost flippantly, "You're being a fool to worry about anything other than little number one." She and Max shared a laugh at the comment.

Georg was anything but amused. "These are dangerous times and bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing. Which is exactly what you are suggesting, it lets them consolidate their power if no-one ever stands up to oppose them."

Max sighed. "You are but one man, and as Elsa says the world somersaults all the time and it will always circle back to where it started from. There is no way to stop it, it's inevitable and then in time it will settle and go back to the same routine." His lips twitched wryly as he added, "Politics never truly change after all."

"Oh, but they do," Georg countered. "We think of politicians as one and the same, but they aren't. Look at Germany, really look at it."

Elsa had lit a cigarette and breathed out a plume of smoke, arching an eyebrow. "Unemployment is at an all-time low." She reminded him. "So, it isn't all as bad as you make out."

"Have either of you stopped to think about why that is? Why have the numbers so dramatically changed in such a short space of time?"

"Why, because they've cracked down on the workshy," Elsa replied, as though this were the most obvious thing in the world. She looked over to Max and joked, "You should be wary should the Anchluss happen."

Georg ignored his friends snort of amusement. "If I were you both I would worry more about the removal of rights from the German people and that that is likely to be replicated here. For the last five years the German people have lost freedom of speech, the right to own property and the right to a trial before imprisonment. And our positions will not save us, in fact they give us more to lose, more they can take and give to those they wish to promote and reward."

"Oh, but those powers were part of an emergency act," Elsa protested, frowning and shaking her head. "There will be no need for that here if the Anchluss is peaceful."

"There will be every need for it, it keeps us under control." He got to his feet clearly irritated as he hissed, "And emergency powers that have lasted for that length of time." He gave a snort of disgust.

Elsa sucked on her cigarette again and gave a nervous smile accompanied by a trill of anxious laughter. "Georg, surely you cannot mean to stand against them?"

He stared out across the gardens and onto the lake beyond as he considered his next words carefully. "I will not compromise my beliefs." He gave a slow shake of his head, his next words almost a murmur that were only just audible, "I cannot."

Stubbing out her half-smoke cigarette, Elsa nodded her head in the direction of the house at Max, who got abruptly to his feet and pushed his chair back from himself, the legs squealing and scraping against the stones. "I…ah…think I shall leave you both to this discussion.

Elsa reclined against the back of chair, relieved that he had taken the hint, she wished to talk openly to Georg, it was the matter of upmost importance. As Max's footsteps began to fade, Elsa finally spoke again, her voice wobbly even to her own ears, she was not used to feeling such uncertainty after all. "Is that what you mean to do Georg, to stand in opposition?"

He turned to look at her, his eyes dark. "If it comes to it."

She inhaled sharply. "Think of what will happen to you? We've all heard what happens to those who have stood against them in the past."

"And yet you and Max are happy to compromise with them, to act as though you agree with them!" His voice raised slightly. "You can see them for what they are, even if you try to deny it."

Elsa got to her feet, her skirts swished around her ankles as she stepped towards him. "Do you honestly think that you putting your head above the paraquet will make a difference?"

"The other option is to bury my head in the sand-"

"Which is a perfectly reasonable decision, we all simply sit tight and let this all blow over."

Georg shook his head, his gaze meeting hers. "And in the meantime, I just let them indoctrinate my children until they believe their propaganda? So that they spout it back without a second thought."

Elsa wanted to scream in frustration at him, her fingers curled into her palms until her nails bit into her skin and she forced herself to relax them, but her shoulders remained tense. "We can send them to school," she replied with forced ease. "In Switzerland perhaps, it would be seen as perfectly acceptable."

"Not to me."

Silence fell between them. Elsa could feel and hear her heartbeat thundering in her ears as her thoughts rushed around in her mind, each of them tumbling over the other. It was one particular one that kept coming back to her, she couldn't do this. She tried to push it away, but her stomach felt heavy, as though she wanted cast up her accounts whenever she thought of her life here. She looked at the man in front of her, he had been everything she had every wanted, or at least thought she wanted. He was handsome, witty, charming and rich, they would be the brightest couple to shine in Vienna's glittering society.

If only that was all he was, she mused sadly. At first she had been enthralled by the glamour of him being such an eminent military hero, but now that pride and bravery was a thorn in their sides. He would not kowtow to the Nazi's if they took power and the results would be disastrous. Despite her doubts, Elsa tried once more to make him see sense. "Georg, they will strip you off your title, they will take your home and every penny you have, they will imprison you."

His expression is clouded and for a moment Elsa thinks that he isn't telling her something, but then he simply told her. "If it comes to that then so be it."

Her breath caught on a quiet gasp at his words, her fingertips pressed gently against her forehead. "I see no point in being coy during this discussion," she stated after a moment. "We are both aware of the purpose of this visit."

Georg's eyes met hers and he nodded, "We are," he confirmed. "And you're right, we should discuss this openly."

"I'm glad that we agree on that point at least." She frowned, choosing her next words carefully. "If you continue to openly hold these views then it is not just you who will lose everything. I will lose everything that my husband left me, not just his money but also his business. Your children and I will be forced into penury."

"I would do my utmost to ensure that didn't happen."

"I fear that you are being woefully naïve." She looked out onto the garden, her thoughts continued to run in a loop around her head. This wasn't the life she wanted, she had always considered his children to be a minor inconvenience that she would only have to manage on special occasions. She had expected that they would return to Vienna, that Aigen would be their holiday home, but when she watched Georg here she knew he would never accept that now. Elsa bit the inside of her cheek, she was a pragmatist and whilst she knew what she wanted, she also knew her limits and so with one last sigh, she tore her eyes away from the landscape and her voice steady, told him, "And I cannot be party to it."

Georg's eyes showed no surprise at her pronouncement, he gave a curt nod. "That is understandable."

Elsa drew her shoulders straight an offered a calm smile that belied her true feelings. "Anyway, you really are much to independent for me, I need someone who needs be desperately…or at least needs my money desperately." She saw his mouth quirk into a small smile of recognition at that. "So I believe that I shall pack my little bags and ask Max to drive me to Vienna, tonight."

"Elsa, this isn't how I planned-"

"Oh, I know," she interrupted. "But it's for the best." Stepping forward, she kissed his cheek, murmuring, "Aufweidersen darling."

"I will happily drive you."

"No." She shook her head firmly. "Let's not draw this out, let this just be our farewell." She stepped back from his loose embrace. She didn't wait for him to speak again, instead she simply turned and walked back into the villa. Her head remained high as she caught sight of Frau Schmidt and arranged for help in packing her bags. As she walked dazedly across the elegant tiling in the entrance hall, keeping her eyes open for Max in order to update him, she saw Fraulein Maria dart down the stairs and head in the direction of the terrace and she rolled her eyes at the sight. The woman had the most annoying tenacity to be in the place Elsa least wanted her to be. Still, this thankfully wasn't her problem anymore.

Georg watched Elsa leave, feeling rather numb if truth be told, as he turned to rest his hands on the stone balustrade. He should feel something, he told himself, after all the woman he had planned to marry had very unceremoniously decided to leave him and yet there was nothing. He could have tried harder to persuade her to stay, could have told her of his plans to leave Austria and yet he hadn't.

He let out a heavy breath, he knew that his only chance of escape was to keep it a secret, to only entrust it to those who absolutely had to know. In the last few moments, he had seen the doubt shining clearly in Elsa's eyes and so he had held it back from her. If he were honest, he didn't think that telling her would have changed her mind, Vienna was her home, she exalted in being in the highest echelon of society and he could no longer offer her that stability.

This was for the best, he told himself, for both of them. If Elsa did not agree with him regarding the threat to Austria, then she would resent him when it came time to leave and that resentment would poison their relationship.

He heard the rush of hurried footsteps behind him and turned to see a rather flushed Fraulein Maria rush out from the doors and onto the terrace, stopping abruptly when she caught sight of him. "My apologies Captain," she spluttered out. "I didn't realise you were still out here, or I wouldn't have…um…" she tailed off as though she were unsure what she was about to apologise for. After a second she settled on, "Been running."

Georg couldn't help but chuckle at the small frown that crossed her features. "I would imagine that looking after the children mean moving quickly at times." He waved a hand. "You don't have to worry on my account Fraulein."

She gave a small nod. "I just came down to fetch Marta's doll, she left her on the grass. The other children are currently occupied, so I thought I'd quickly come and get her."

"Of course. Do you know where she left it?"

"Under a tree." She looked across the multiple trees across the lawn and sighed. "It might take longer than I hoped."

Shading his eyes from the afternoon sun, Georg peered out and spotted the small pink shape propped up against a tree trunk about hallway down the garden. "Or perhaps not." He pointed down to it.

Her gaze followed his finger and she smiled. "Thank you Captain, I had planned to start on the opposite side."

His fingers flexed against the side of his thigh and he felt the compulsion to continue talking to her, which was madness considering how close he had came to crossing the line with her earlier today. As she stepped forward though, towards the steps, all common sense fled from him and he asked, "Can I walk with you?"

"Of course." The smile she gave him was genuine, her blue eyes sparkling, and he fell into step with her.

She tilted her face, watching him as they walked, he felt under scrutiny when she looked at him with that expression as though she knew his every secret. "Why do you look at me that way?"

Maria gave a small shake of her head, her eyes narrowing thoughtfully before she replied, "You seem pre-occupied…somewhat troubled."

How did she do that? He wondered, she had a knack of seeing through every crack in his façade. "Just…thinking." It was on the tip of his tongue to tell her the truth, but he held it back, unsure if he should burden her with what had happened. He wanted to confide in her, but he felt it would be inappropriate.

"It doesn't look like anything pleasant."

Georg gave a sigh and a soft, humourless laugh. "No I don't suppose it is."

She pulled her gaze from his as they approached the tree and bending down, she picked up Marta's doll, brushing some small specks of dirt from it. "Well, if it makes you feel better the children had a wonderful day, they do so enjoy spending time with you."

That did pull a genuine smile from him, and as she straightened, he told her, "I will need to arrange time in their schedule in order to take Gretl and Marta swimming, it's time they learned."

He thought he heard a small catch to her breath and then decided that he must have imagined it when she simply replied, "They will be delighted, and I'm sure we can make plenty of time for it."

"Good." As they walked back towards the house, he found himself suddenly asking, "Are you happy here Fraulein?"

She looked at him in surprise. "I am. It's not where I expected to find myself, but I have found purpose here and the children are a joy."

"I would have imagined that you always had purpose at Nonnberg."

Her smile faded slightly. "I admit that although it is what I want from life, I have found it more challenging than I had hoped to settle there."

The admission did not surprise him, she sparked with energy and glowed with joy, he could never imagine her behind those walls, draped in the large black robes and habit. He had tried to picture it, when he found his mind drifting to improper thoughts about her, he had tried to remind himself of what she was to be, of her calling. It had never helped, he could never see it. His fingers twitched again against his leg and he told her, "Fraulein, you should know that-"

He was interrupted by a loud thump and irritated shrieking of the children from within the house. "Oh bother," Maria muttered, fleeing back into the house to check on her charges, narrowly dodging Max who was on his way out.

Max looked after her, chuckling as he remarked, "She's always quite the whirlwind, isn't she?"

Discomfited by what he had been about to say to her, Georg felt oddly as though he had been caught somewhere that he shouldn't by his old friend. He cleared his throat awkwardly, "Yes…quite." Max gave Georg a thoughtful look, his lips twisting slightly to the left as he considered him for a moment, he glanced back over his shoulder into the villa. Not wanting to face any questioning, Georg asked him, "Something I can do for you?"

"Hmmm? Oh no, for a change I'm not out to scrounge for scraps." He gave a brief smile that lasted only a few seconds before it fell as he added, "I spoke to Elsa."

"I thought you might have."

"It was not the conversation I expected," he admitted, he shot a concerned look in Georg's direction. "Are you quite sure this is the road you want to take?"

The question was surprisingly quiet, serious in tone, all of Max's bravado and bluster wiped away and replaced with genuine concern. Georg gave a short nod. "I think it is for the best."

Max gave a long sigh. "I believe that if you wished to you would be able to dissuade Elsa, that you could convince her to stay."

With a humourless chuckle, Georg asked, "By lying to her?"

"By coming to your senses," Max countered. "You cannot mean to put your children in danger." He frowned thoughtfully at him. "I know you, you might endanger yourself for your beliefs, but I cannot believe that you would risk their futures."

"You needn't worry about my children Max, they will be perfectly safe."

"There is something you aren't telling me."

His eyes narrowed. "Perhaps for now you should think of that as necessary."

Max took a few steps forward. "Talk to Elsa," he implored again, his voice steady. "Your marriage was all but certain until this afternoon."

"Elsa has the right to make decisions on what is right for her, I will not force her into changing her mind. Marriage is not something to be considered lightly."

"You know," Max remarked with a sigh, "I rather feel as though you are potentially relived by this development."

Georg looked at him sharply. "What do you mean?"

"When we first arrived here, I thought a few days, maybe a week and then there would be a proposal, a decision on the future." He gestured with his hands and then dropped them to his side again. "And yet here we are, a month down the line and until just now we were no closer to a conclusion, despite Elsa doing all that was expected of her."

Georg couldn't argue that point, he had delayed his proposal time and again, giving himself a different reason each time, but the simple truth boiled down to plain uncertainty that he was making the right decision. How could he propose to Elsa when it was another woman whose company he craved? He had simply been waiting for that infatuation to pass, but it hadn't yet. "Perhaps that has been for the best, I cannot offer Elsa the security of the life she wants."

"Through your own stubbornness," Max retorted.

"Our priorities differ, our ideals for the future differ." He looked at his friend and his shoulders slumped slightly, "I would never have cast her aside," he admits quietly. "But I won't chase her, I will respect her choice."

Max glanced back towards the house again, his thoughtful expression back in place. "I just hope you don't come to regret this moment. Don't think I haven't noticed the way you look at Fraulein Maria."

Georg looked up sharply. "I would tread carefully Max."

"And here was me about to say the same to you," came the dry reply. "She is a postulant," he stated firmly. "She will leave in September-"

"I am aware of this," Georg interrupted on an irritated hiss. "And she has nothing to do with my decision today."

"But perhaps everything to with your hesitation in proposing and in your reluctance to persuade Elsa to change her mind."

Georg shook his head, agitated and irritated but trying to appear calm. "Can you honestly look me in the eye Max and tell me that after the last month, you truly believe that Elsa and I will make each other happy?"

Max pulled his lips tight together. "Perhaps," he hedged.

"That is not an answer."

"If there were compromises, from both you of, then yes."

"Whereas I think she is right, I think in this current politically climate I will always end up disappointing her. And before you bring it up again Max, that would be the case regardless of anyone else currently residing in my home." It was odd, but he could not bring himself to single out Maria, perhaps it was because it would be like admitting that his feelings for her were beyond what would be considered appropriate for an employer and his employee. "In another time then perhaps it would never have come to this."

"Hmmm." Max frowned for a moment and then finally shrugged. "If you are quite sure, then I shall not try any further to persuade you otherwise. Even I have to admit when something is a lost cause." He gave a sigh as he added, "I shall stay overnight in Vienna and return tomorrow afternoon."

"I am grateful to you for seeing Elsa home."

He waved a hand. "Yes, yes, just consider it to be my way of paying you for your hospitality thus far." He looked up and met Georg's gaze. "Just try not to make any foolish decisions whilst I'm away."

Georg looked slightly affronted at the comment. "Max, I'm not sure what on earth you think I'm going to do?"

Max simply raised an eyebrow at him. "I'm sure if you think on it, you'll know exactly what I mean."

So this story was a combination of a few different things. I always wondered what would have happened if Maria hadn't left the villa that night, if Elsa didn't see the dance and also how the tension between Georg and Maria would build without that catalyst. I've also always enjoyed the part of the musical where Elsa leaves for more political reasons and this story is a result of pulling all those threads together. But I didn't want spoil anything so I kept it all under my hat until now.

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. All thoughts are welcome.